Please, Granger? New Version
by DropDeadRomantic
Summary: NEW VERSION! Hermione and Draco meet up at the library every nigh. Neither talk. One night, things change. For the better? Their not sure. K for safety. COMPLETE. RE-WRITTEN, BETA'D, AND EDITED.


_Thanks to my amazing beta, this story has been fixed, revamped, whatever you want to call it. VioletEyedPrincess was not only the inspiration for most of my stories, but she's my best friend. Thanks to her editing, for this story and soon to be the disastrous sequel, this now makes a lot more sense. So thank her…_

Please, Granger?

By: DropDeadRomantic

__Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, settings, accepted cannon ideas, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The Original Character and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.__

Hermione Granger loved homework. She loved sitting in the library, researching something for one of her teachers, or just reading the day away. Unfortunately, one of the things she hated came with one of the things she loved.

Draco Malfoy.

Usually, he wouldn't even know that she knew he was there. She would look up when he came in, watch him sit at some battered up, old table in the back. She would watch him pull out whatever homework he had, or whatever had caught his interest that day. Then, she would turn away, and continue on as if nothing had happened. The first time he had caught her looking, he stared at her. When she didn't look away, he smirked, shook his head, and then continued on with what he was doing.

It happened every time she was at the library. She would do her work, wait 15 to 20 minutes, he would walk in, and she would watch him. As the days went by, she started noticing things. His eyes looked sunken in on Wednesday, his skin appeared duller on Friday.

And by Tuesday of the next week, he looked as if all of the life had been sucked out of him. It was one particular night that Hermione just couldn't take it anymore. She had been obsessing over what was wrong with him. Was he not getting sleep? Was his father tormenting him? Was Pansy Parkinson tormenting him? She had to know. After he came in, she waited a few seconds for him to sit and get his things out, before she turned around. The dullest pair of grey eyes stared back at her. She had never seen them so lifeless, sad, she couldn't think of the right word to describe them.

She turned away, picked up her things, and went to sit with him. He watched her the whole way, knowing what she was doing, but didn't try and stop her. Progress. She sat, got out her stuff, and started on her work. After a few minutes of watching her, he did the same.

It continued this way for a few weeks. Neither said a word, they just sat, and did their work. He ignored her around school, and she didn't tell Harry and Ron about their time together. She didn't know if he told anyone, but if he did, they obviously didn't have a problem with it.

After one particularly nasty day, things changed. Lavender Brown had been a complete bitch to Hermione that day, and not only did everyone know about it, but _Ronald_ defended Lavender! She walked into the library close to tears. She didn't eve wait for him to come in before going to their table. She sat, got her things out, and waited. She didn't start her work, she didn't even look at it. She looked at the grain of the table and let the silent tears fall.

When he walked in, he looked for her at her table. He was disappointed to see her not there. But when he started towards his table he looked up and stopped. She looked so sad and defeated. The tears streaming down her face were black with eyeliner and mascara, and her cheeks were tinted red. He walked over to her slowly, sat down and got to work.

He didn't say anything as he worked, but he took her hand in his under the table. Her grip was tight, she needed him. He squeezed her hand, he was there. They stayed like that for hours. Eventually she got herself together enough to work, but she didn't ease her grip on his hand. As they packed up she looked at him.

He looked a little better than he had before, but he still looked sick, or older. She looked into his eyes, and smiled a soft smile.

"Thanks." She whispered, looking down. She got her things and left before he could do anything. After that things went back to normal, or as normal for the two of them as it could get. They still meet every night in the library, they still sat at the same table, and they still never said a word. But it was different. She respected him. He was there for her when no one else was.

For him it was worse. He cared about her. He wanted to be able to talk to her, get to know her. He hadn't called her a Mudblood since that day, hadn't even paid attention to Harry and Ron.

She could see it. She was watching as he withdrew into himself. She could almost feel the self loathing coming off him. She didn't know why he felt it, but she had guessed it was because of her.

"Hermione!" Ron yelled. She looked over at him in shock. Everyone was staring at her. She blushed, looking down at her food. It was dinner time and everyone was in the Great Hall eating.

"We've been calling you for 10 minutes." Harry said. He looked concerned. When did he not? She thought to herself. She looked at her boys and sighed. She had been distracted with her memories of a certain blonde Slytherin.

"What did I miss?" She asked. Harry looked at her, confused.

"What were you thinking about? You looked like you were going to explode!" Ron said excitedly, looking like a mesmerized three year old just learning how to turn the TV on. He had a chicken leg in one hand and a spoon full of mashed potatoes in the other. He had corn on his chin.

She sighed, picking up a napkin and wiping Ron's chin so he could be corn free. "Nothing, just thinking about old memories." She smiled, hoping to reassure them.

Ron blushed, wiping at his face, and Harry smiled at her. She looked back down at her food, suddenly not feeling so hungry. And she pushed the peas on her plate around, she thought about Ron. She knew he liked her. He'd made it pretty obvious. She loved him, she knew that. But it was more of a sisterly/brotherly love. She loved him, she just wasn't _in_ love with him. She was sure he wasn't _in_ love with her as well, he just thought he was.

"Herms?" She looked up at Ron and glared. He _knew_ she hated that nick name. He looked shocked, but quickly realized what he had done.

"I mean, Hermione?" He asked, slightly startled. She let her glare down, and smiled at him. He smiled back, looking as if he was in a daze. He just sat there for a few seconds, smiling at her. Her gaze faltered, and her smile slipped.

"Yes Ronald?" At the sound of her voice, he straightened up, and cleared his throat, a blush on his cheeks. Harry snickered on the side lines, having seen it all. She glared at him and looked away once she knew it was no use. He just kept laughing at his best friends.

"Why are you always at the library? I mean, I know you like to read and study and all that, but every night?" He looked perplexed, which was not unusual for Ron. She panicked. Did they know? Had they seen them together? No. she scolded herself. He's just curious. Putting at innocent look on her face, she answered the best way she knew how.

"I'm studying Ron. You know how I am." She smiled at him, which seemed to do him in. He slumped in his seat, and rested his head in his hand, a dazed expression on his face. This just sent Harry into a whole new load of hysterics, making him almost fall of his chair. She sighed and shook her head before getting up. With a smile on her face, she left the Great Hall feeling better than she had in a few weeks.

That night, after getting her things from her common room, she made her way through the halls, and headed for the library. She walked down the halls with confidence she didn't know she had, saying Hello to paintings she had seen before.

When entering the library, she noticed that it was almost empty, only two or three students were going through the shelves, and there was one girl sitting at the tables. Walking over to their usual table, Hermione got out her things, and started her nightly ritual. She was so lost in her work, she didn't realize that Malfoy had yet to show up.

She was studying a potion for Snape's class, the students were required to have it memorized for the next day's quiz. The potion was fairly complicated, it was not only a sixth year potion, but it was one she had not completed before. The next time she looked up, an hour had passed. There was still no sign of Malfoy. She sighed, looking at the hands on the clock. There was an hour till the library closed before she had to be in the common room. She sighed softly and looked down at her parchment, before starting to write.

Fifteen minutes before nine o'clock, Draco Malfoy strode into the library looking as if a tornado had hit him. He looked at their table, and was relieved to see that Hermione was still there. He had been worried that she would have left by now. His week had been horrible. His father was being a nuisance, as was Pansy.

He looked at her, watching as her quill scratched across the parchment, her hair flowing down the side of her neck. She had never looked as beautiful as she did at that moment, and he had been looking at her for quite some time now. Not that he would ever say that to her face, he had a reputation to protect after all.

Hermione glanced over to him and watched as he moved forward and sat down beside her. She saw how he looked straight ahead, how he wouldn't even glance at her. She sighed softly and looked down at her parchment, not bothering to ask what was wrong with him. However a few seconds later, she felt his hand slide into hers. She stopped writing, surprised that his actions but she squeezed his hand and started writing once more.

Draco didn't know what compelled him to touch her. He just felt the need to. He had the desire to feel safe and stable, which is what he felt whatever they touched. He gently closed his eyes, and still keeping their hands locked together, he allowed his head gently fall onto her shoulder. He allowed himself to give up all the dignity he had left, while finally allowing the feeling of peace to wash over him.

Hermione's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she felt his head land on her shoulder. She instantly stopped writing, her quill falling from her hand and landing on the parchment. She turned her head slightly and looked at him, examining the expressions on his face. Draco looked so broken, so torn, so utterly... _innocent_.

"Um… Malfoy, you're…" She stammered, unable to speak correctly with him so close to her. She was confused as to what to do. Half of her wanted to pull him closer, while the other half wanted to push him away.

"Oh please, Granger. Just shut it will you." Draco told her, his voice was neither harsh nor commanding, instead it sounded exactly as he looked. She had never seen nor heard him like this, and frankly it terrified her.

She continued to look at him for a few more seconds, before picking up her quill and going back to her work. Both Hermione and Draco knew that after this night, things were going to change forever. However, neither of them knew how it was going to change their lives.

By the way, I've put up the sequel. Just so you know. lol.

Dear Readers and Reviewers,

I read a recent review and there is some confusion about this story.

THIS STORY IS FINISHED!

I have no plans to add onto this. There will, eventually, be a sequel, but this story is finished.

_**Snarkity: **_You choose a perfect name for your anonymous review. I have a few "Tips" for you.

1. Do not tell an author when **HER** story is done. It's not _**your**_ choice when this story is finished and when it's not.

2. I put the word "Complete" in my synopsis because this story _is_ complete.

3. When you write reviews, you usually try to stay away from sounding like an asshole.

I hope this gives you a little lesson in manners and how to treat fellow writers.

**For the rest of you who reviewed, I'm sorry to say that this story, is indeed finished.**

**I do, however, plan to write a sequel. With everything that's going on in my life right now, I do not know when that will be, but I do plan to do it.**

Have a nice day everyone, and happy holidays.

Sydney Cruse

DropDeadRomantic


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